Method of producing concentrated phytosterin-containing products



Patented July 7, 1936 METHOD OF PRODUCING CONCENTRATEDPHYTQSTERIN-CONTAINING PRODUCTS Albert Schwieger, Hamburg, Germany,assignor to firm Hanseatische Muhlenwerke Aktienge: I sellschaft,Hamburg, Germany I No Drawing. Application November 9, 1934, Serial No.152,378. In Germany December 22,

6 Claims. (01. 260-153) It is known that phytosterins occur (in a smallpercentage) in vegetable materials associated with vegetable oils andfats.

' I have now found that concentrated or pure phytosterin products can beobtained if the starting materials (i. e. fatty oil containing phy-.tosterin, or distillates therefrom as described below) are subjected toa fractional separation by addition of alcohol on the basis of theirsolu- 10 bility relationships and indeed this separation can be eifectedby fractional crystallization or by fractional solution. a

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention use is madeas starting material of the distillate obtained by the treatment ofvegetable oils or fats with steam at temperatures above about 200 C. andpreferably under high vacuum, for example corresponding to an absolutepressure of about 1 to 10 mm. of mercury but I do not restrict theinvention to this degree of vacuum.

Example 1.10 kgs. of the alcohol extract from pre-refined soya'oil thathas been obtained according to the alcohol washing described in GermanPatent No. 371,813 or the corresponding U. S. Patent 1,895,424, as anextract containing a mixture of free phytosterin and phytosterin es-.ters in varying proportion of about 18%, and associated neutral oils,fatty acids, phosphatides,

slimy materials, bitter materials, coloring materials, sugars, starch,albumens and vegetable gums and the like, are mixed with 30 kgs., of 97%alcohol and allowed to crystallize at suitable temperature preferablybetween about 0 and about 10 C. The necessary time varies, according tothe composition of the starting material, between several hours andseveral weeks.

The crystals obtained are centrifuged. They have a phytosterin contentof about 25%. The

40 liquid centrifuged off consists of alcohol and the stated associatedmaterials.

Example 2.100 kgs. of an acetone extract which was obtained by theextraction of dried soya lecithin of about 60% purity, (which soyalecithin contains about 35% soya oil as well as coloring materials,bitter materials and flavoring materials), is slowly cooled down withaddition of 20 kgs. of 90% alcohol to a temperature of from 6 to 10 C.The phytosterin separates as a result of the cooling down, preferablyafter seeding with phytosterin crystals, together with fatty acids andimpurities in coarse crystalline form. If the crystal mixture is nowbrought gradually to raised temperature, for example to 'roomtemperature, the associated materials for several days.

the greater part go into solution and may be separated from thephytosterin crystals by centrifuging. The crystals can also be placed ona suction filter and then washed with cold alcohol. About 5 kgs. of rawphytosterin is obtained 5 with a content of about 10% phytosterin.

Example 3.l00 kgs. of distillate from steam distillation such as isobtained by treatment of soya oil with steam under high vacuum attemperatures of for example 200 C. and which con- 10 tains volatilefatty acids, neutral oils, aldehydes,

hydrocarbons or the like, are mixed with 50 kgs. of technical denatured92% alcohol and allowed to stand at a temperature of 5 C. for

The crystal pulpjseparating is 15 centrifuged in a separator (like acentrifugal cream separator) or in a drum centrifuge; the crystal cakecontains about 20% of phytosterin. The mother liquor centrifuged off canaccording to its phytosterin content be again subjected to 20crystallization one or more times in order to obtain the quantities ofphytosterin contained therein. 1

Example .4.-10 kgs. of an enriched raw phytosterin preparation obtainedaccording to Ex- 25 amples l to 3 with a phytosterin content of 25% aredissolved in 30 kgs. of a 15% alcoholic potash lye and saponified byboiling under a reflux condenser. The saponifieation product is thencooled down to a temperature of 0 to 10 C. and 30 allowed tocrystallize. If desired, the product after saponification can be dilutedwith a further 30 kgs. of alcohol in order to obtain a bettercrystallization;

By means of the saponification process, not 35 only are the neutral fatsand fatty acids converted into soaps which remain dissolved in thealcoholic solution but also the phytosterin fatty acid esters are splitup (saponified) liberating the phytosterin. After standing for 3 days,1.9 40 kgs. of phytosterin in fine crystalline needles separate and canbe recrystallized from a three to five fold proportion of pure alcohol,if desired with simultaneous decolorization.

In this manner a fairly pure product is ob- 45 tained which isconstituted of sitosterin, stigmasterin, traces of ergosterin and thelike. This product may contain 98% or more of phytosterin.

Example 5.-10 kgs. of enriched raw phytosterin according to Examples 1to 3, are saponifled with 225 kgs. of a 10% alcoholic soda lye under areflux condenser, whereupon it is diluted with a two-fold portion ofwater and the sterin separated by a repeated shaking with benzine of lowboiling point, i. e. of boiling point 60 recrystallization in alcohol,preferably with suit-- able coolingdown, can be further purified. Iclaim: i Q

1. Process for the production 0! phytosterincontaining products, whichincludes the steps of subjecting raw unsaponiiied material containingphytosterin to the action of alcohol, separating the phase containingthe greater proportion of phytosterin, subjecting said phase, tosaponiflcation, and extracting phytosterin-containing products from theproduct of saponiilcation by means 0! an organic solvent in whichphytoster'in is soluble,

2. Process for the production 0! phytosterincontaining products whichincludes the steps of treating the acetcne' type of extract obtained inlecithin purification with alcohol and recovering the phase contamingthe higher percentage of phytosterin. Y

, 3. Process for the production of phytosterincontaining products whichincludes the step of 'treating 'alcohol extracts obtained by directtreatment 01 fatty oil with alcohol, to further treatment with alcoholand separating the phase containing the higher percentage ofphytosterin.

4. Process for the production of phytosterincontaining products, whichincludes the steps of subjecting raw oil material containing Phytwterinto a steam distillation'undera pressure much below atmospheric and at atemperature 5.

above about 200' C. and recovering phytosterin- .contain'ing productsfrom the distillate.

- distillate.

6.- Process for the production of phytosterin- 15' containing products,which includes the steps of subjecting raw oil material containin p yterin to a steam distillation under reduced pressure and at atemperature above 200 0., condensing the steam together with theentrained 20 phytosterin-containing substances, subjecting the condensedliquid to the action of alcohol,

\ separating the phase containing the greater proportion of phytosterin,subjecting said phase to saponiflcation and extracting phytosterin-en-25 riched products from the product of sap niilcation by means 0! anorganic solvent which is capable of separating the phytosterin fromother materials present in said intermediate material.

ALBERT SCHWIEGER.

